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This time we fly to Iran, where there are numerous ancient churches belonging to religious minorities in the country, of which the Christian faith constitutes the biggest part.
We discover the charming rural village of Sohrol, near the city of Shabestar, in the mountainous area of eastern Azerbaijan, one of the oldest territories in Iran, which was the cradle of Christianity in Persia. Here stands the catholic Church of St. John, also known as Sohraqeh Church. Built around the 5th century, it was rebuilt in brick on the foundations of the ancient building in 1840 by Samson Makintsev, a Russian general in the service of Iran during the Qajar era.
This is an extraordinary example of Sasanian architectural style, which characterizes the pre-Islamic Persian Empire (224-651), a period that marked some of the highest achievements of Iranian civilization. This style distinctive features are: pointed domes, reminiscent of the volcanic cone of the Great Ararat, mounted above the vaulted ceilings on a cylindrical drum (usually polygonal on the outside); vertical emphasis of the entire structure; stone vaulted ceilings.
Inscribed on the National Heritage List in 1968, the church recently underwent a restoration that involved reinforcing the main structure, filling small cracks and erecting retaining walls to stabilize the ground from potential landslides.
